2435 
occasion agaipst five’ of the members of 
the house, Mr.. Pym, Mr. Hampden, 
Mr. Hallis, Mr. Stroud, and sir Arthur 
Haslerige. Those he sends his warrant 
for, but upon secret notice they got out 
of the house. The next day, being the 
4th of January, the king comes after a 
liosule manner, and enters the house, 
attended with bis guards and three hun- 
dred armed cavaliers, most of them of 
desperate forlorn fortunes, to the great 
surprise of the parliament; but, finding 
himself disappointed in his expectations, 
after some severe threats, departs, and 
within a few days leaves his court and 
parliament; and, notwithstanding the 
many entreaties for his return, he con- 
tinued his residence at York, where he 
set up his standard against his parlia- 
ment, arraying the poor people against 
themselves, to the slaughter of many 
hundreds of thousands of poor innocent 
souls, merely to satisfy the lust and plea- 
sure of a wilful stubborn king, a strange 
passion in this prince, when no power 
will content him but that of absoluteness 
to be master over the lives and fortunes 
of his subjects, but this at last proved his 
own overthrow. For after eight years’ 
wars with his parliament, in the year 
1648, he was taken, arraigned, con- 
demned, and beheaded at his own door; 
the saine place where the first blood was 
spilt by his own servants, the cavaliers ; 
and those two tools, the earl of Stafford 
and the archbishop of Canterbury, were 
Loth doomed to the block, as being trai- 
tors to their country. I have only this 
to say, if I may believe history, that this 
king was aman more beloved, honoured, 
and obeyed, than any of our kings before 
him; and yet a prince that raised and 
wasted more treasures, wilfully spilt 
more innocent blood, divested more the 
lands and habitations of his subjects, 
ruined more families, and more em- 
broiled this gallant nation, than any since 
the coming in of the Norman race; and 
yet he lived a saint, and dyed a martyr 5 
and, (if you please) of blessed memory, 
The next to this was Charles II. or 
the Royal C——y, who began his reign 
ia the year 1648. And now comes in 
the devil and all his works; for here’s a 
man given to luxury and uncleanness, as 
many living witnesses can testify. With 
this prince entered a flood of debauchery, 
atheism, and all manner of prophane- 
ness} the land was overflown in all parts 
with quarreling, fighting, swearing, cur- 
Aug, drunkeilltle, and whoredom: the 
Scarce Tracts, Kc. 
[April 1. ? 
roads, the’ streets, ‘and houses, ringing 
with dammes, and strange new-invented 
blaspheinies; obscene discourses every 
where abounding, which could. not other- 
wise be expected, when we had so great 
a person for our pattern; for, like prince, 
like people, regis ad exemplum, &c. peor 
ple dress themselves by the looking-glass 
of their prince. 
New were their plots of all kinds, by 
which many a brave man was cut off; 
aud bloody designs against Lolland, 
thouyh all the while in league with them; 
all plans, civil, military, and ecclesias- 
tical, were filled up with men of pro- 
phane lives. He was an hypocrite, a 
covenant-breaker, and a bluody per 
secutor.. Historians say, that, upon the 
restoration of this king, certain dissenting 
ministers were sent -over to Holland, 
among which was the Rev, Mr. Case; 
who, coming to the king’s lodging, and 
desiring to be admitted into his presence, 
were led into a chamber nest his closet, 
and told withal, that the king was busy 
at his devotions, and they must stay until 
he had done; and, being thus Jett-alone, 
and hearing a sound of groaning piety, 
Mr. Case steps to the closet-door, where 
he hears the king pray thus: ‘ Lord, 
since thou art pleased to restore me to 
the throne of my ancestors, grant me a 
heart constant in the exercise and pro- 
tection of thy true Protestant religion, 
Never may [seek the oppression of those, 
who out of tenderness of conscience are 
not free to conform to outward and in- 
different ceremonies ;” with a great deal 
more to the same purpose ; at which Mr. 
Case was exceedingly transported, and 
with eyes aud hands lifted up, tells the 
rest of his brethren, that they had gotten 
an angel of a king. All this was done 
in hypocrisy, as appezred by his carriage 
alterwards; for, notwithstanding that 
covenant that he.made with them, he 
turned out two thousand godly ministers 
of their churches, on the day commonly 
called ‘Black Bartholomew,” alter 
which, what severe and cruel laws were 
there executed against them, breaking 
open their doors, rifling their houses, 
seizing their estates, casting them into 
filthy prisons, where, by close .confine= 
ment, inultitudes of them perished: many 
were convicted without hearing, or jury, 
and some were put to death for their 
conscience sake; the mecting-houses 
were shut up, while the k——y h——s 
were open. 
Yea, and dissenting ministers were 
probibned 
